House of Representatives approves public safety consolidation

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - The House of Representatives voted 67-26 this afternoon to approve a massive revamp of public safety functions.

The House approved the bill after more than five hours of debate and a filibuster by black lawmakers who said the bill would create a "czar over law enforcement."

The bill would consolidate more than 20 agencies with law enforcement or investigative missions down to nine with most offices answering to a new secretary of law enforcement. The secretary would be appointed by the governor.

"The real intent is to take the law enforcement resources that we have and to manage them as effectively as we can," Rep. Mike Ball, R-Madison, said.

Ball said the bill would create an agency of "suits" or investigators and an agency of uniformed officers. Ball, a former state trooper, said the bill would give law enforcement more flexibility. For example, Ball said the marine police could assist troopers in the winter when they are not as busy.

The bill met with staunch opposition from members of the legislative black caucus who kept up a filibuster for more than five hours until lawmakers voted to cut off debate.

"This is an effort to try to take all the power," Rep. John Knight, D-Montgomery. Knight said having those agencies spread out creates more checks and balances.

"The last thing you want to do is to politicize law enforcement," Knight said.

Black lawmakers expressed concern the bill would eliminate the authority of DPS Director Col. Hugh McCall, the first African American to head the agency. McCall is also one of two black members in Gov. Robert Bentley's cabinet.

"It looks like a direct attack on one man," Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, said.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Robert Bentley responded that, "The only purposes of this bill are to improve state law enforcement operations, increase government efficiency and save taxpayer dollars."

Under the bill, the State Bureau of Investigations, formerly the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, would oversee general investigations and the investigations currently done by forestry, agriculture, the Alcohol Beverage Control Board and other agencies.

The Department of Public Safety would oversee highway patrol, driver's licenses, marine police and other law enforcement functions. The Department of Homeland Security would be eliminated and its functions absorbed by remaining agencies. The new secretary of law enforcement would also serve as state homeland security adviser.

The proposal by Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, has already been approved by the Alabama Senate. The bill now returns to the Senate since the House amended the bill.

Marsh's office estimated the bill would save $260 million over 10 years.